Method for sharpening a skate wheel

ABSTRACT

A roller skate wheel is disclosed that has a toothed shoulder on the side of the wheel, which toothed shoulder can be engaged by a motor driven gear wheel for rotating the wheel so that the wheel can be engaged by a sharpener, without removing the wheel from the skate.

United States Patent 1 3,907,369

Chevaux 1 1 Sept. 23, 1975 [54] METHOD FOR SHARPENING A SKATE 1.127.900 2/1915 Kratky 280/1 1.11 R

WHEEL 2.785.580 3/1957 Andrews 74/432 Inventor: Jean Chevaux, Renens, Switzerland Assignee: Roll-Rink S.A., Switzerland Filed: Sept. 14, 1973 Appl. No.: 397,275

Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 18. 1972 United Kingdom 43145/72 US. Cl. 301/5.3; 51/236; 280/1137 T int. Cl. A63C 17/22 Field of Search 301/53, 5.7, 6 R, 63 PW. 301/63 DD, 5 R; 280/1122, 11.11 R. 11.11

E, 11.2, 11.23, 11.37 T; 74/230,01, 230.4, 230.5. 432; D34/14 C; 51/D1G. 33, 287. 228, 236, 237 R References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1912 Franklin 74/432 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLlCATlONS 163.086 10/1948 Austria 280/1122 1.120.895 7/1968 United Kingdom... 6.516.550 7/1967 Netherlands 301/5 R Primary ExaminerLloyd L. King Assistant E.\'aminerRcinhard .1. Eisenzopf Attorney. Agent. or FirmD. Paul Weaver [57] ABSTRACT A roller skate wheel is disclosed that has a toothed shoulder on the side of the wheel. which toothed shoulder can be engaged by a motor driven gear wheel for rotating the wheel so that the wheel can be engaged by a sharpener. without removing the wheel from the skate.

1 Claim, 1 Drawing Figure METHOD FOR SHARPENING A SKATE WHEEL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is well known to use roller skates, the wheels of which are made from a mass of hard molded plastic which has at least one steel ring about the circumference of the plastic for contact with the surface of a skating rink or other surface upon which skating is to be done. In the recent past skates have been designed where the wheels are aligned one behind the other in a curved line, which provides greater mobility for the skater. An example of a skate of this type is that shown in US. Pat. No. 2,048,916, issued to F. A. Bentzlin, on July 28, 1936. A further example of such a skate is shown in US. Pat. No. 2,644,692, issued to Ernest Kahlert. The wheels on skates of this type wear quite rapidly and have to be sharpened frequently. Conventional wheels are disadvantages in that they have to be removed from the skate for rectifying and sharpening. In the case of skates, whose wheels can be adjusted to the individual skater, such as in the Bentzlin patent, this is particularly disadvantageous, as the precise adjustment of the various wheels is lost when the wheels are removed for sharpening. Furthermore, the rectifying and sharpening of the skate wheels becomes a lengthy affair when the skates have four or more wheels each.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, the foregoing disadvantages of conventional skate wheels are eliminated by providing a wheel that is made of a mass of hard synthetic material, with a ring of hardened steel retained about the circumference of the synthetic material, and wherein at least one toothed is formed on the side of the synthetic material portion of the skate wheel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention is illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a wheel for roller skates, a rectifier grinder and a motor driven gear for turning the wheel when it is to be sharpened on the rectitier grinder, according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As will be seen from the accompanying drawing, the wheel of the present invention, indicated generally at 1, consists of a circular disc la made or molded from a mass of hard synthetic material, such as plastic, and has at least one hardened steel ring 2 extending around its circumference and secured thereto. A raised shoulder 3 is integrally formed thereon and a plurality of radially extending teeth 3a are integrally formed on the shoulder portion 3. The steel ring 2 is, of course, designed to enter into contact with the ground, the term ground being intended to mean the surface on which the skater skates, whether the surface is indoors or outdoors, and whether the surface is made of synthetic material, wood or other materials. An opening 4 extends through the wheel, for the reception of the usual skate axle.

The wheel is so constructed that the wheel can be rectified and sharpened by a rectifier-sharpener 5 without removing the wheel from the roller skate. The toothed portion 3a, formed on shoulder 3, can be engaged by a motor driven gear wheel 6, which will cause the wheel to turn so that the wheel can be ground, while the wheel is on the skate, and the setting of the wheel on the skate will not be affected.

I claim:

1. A method for sharpening a skate wheel mounted on a skate, said skate wheel having a ground engaging peripheral face requiring periodic sharpening and a pair of opposed sides, at least one of said sides being exposed, and a group of gear-like teeth secured to said exposed side of said wheel body, said method comprising the steps of: engaging said gear-like teeth with a power driven gear for rotating said wheel, and applying sharpening means against said peripheral face thereby sharpening the skate wheel without removal of said wheel from said skate. 

1. A method for sharpening a skate wheel mounted on a skate, said skate wheel having a ground engaging peripheral face requiring periodic sharpening and a pair of opposed sides, at least one of said sides being exposed, and a group of gear-like teeth secured to said exposed side of said wheel body, said method comprising the steps of: engaging said gear-like teeth with a power driven gear for rotating said wheel, and applying sharpening means against said peripheral face thereby sharpening the skate wheel without removal of said wheel from said skate. 